Dr. Linus
| days=7-8 (Ajira crash) | writer=Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz | director=Mario Van Peebles | starring=Naveen Andrews - Sayid Jarrah* Nestor Carbonell - Richard Alpert Emilie de Ravin - Claire Littleton* Henry Ian Cusick - Desmond Hume* Michael Emerson - Benjamin Linus Jeff Fahey - Frank Lapidus Matthew Fox - Jack Shephard Jorge Garcia - Hugo Reyes Josh Holloway - James Ford* Daniel Dae Kim - Jin-Soo Kwon* Yunjin Kim - Sun-Hwa Kwon Ken Leung - Miles Straume Evangeline Lilly - Kate Austen* Terry O'Quinn - John Locke Zuleikha Robinson - Ilana Verdansky * Did not appear in the episode. | guests=William Atherton - Principal Reynolds Alan Dale - Charles Widmore Jon Gries - Tania Raymonde - Daniel Roebuck - | costars=Steve Boatright - Officer | transcript=Dr. Linus transcript | audiotranscript=Dr. Linus audio commentary }} '"Dr. Linus"' is the seventh episode of Season 6 of ''Lost and the 110th produced hour of the series as a whole. It was originally broadcast on March 9, 2010. Ben deals with Ilana's consequences for an uncovered lie. Jack and Hurley follow Richard to the Black Rock. Synopsis Previously on Lost *Ben stabs Jacob, after which Jacob falls against Ben, and touches his arm. ♪ *Jack sees the candidate list at the lighthouse, then asks what Jacob wants from him. *Jacob says that they were at the lighthouse because he had to get Hurley and Jack away from the Temple because someone bad is going to the Temple. *The Man in Black transforms into the Monster and attacks the Temple. *Ben tells Sayid that there is still time. Sayid replies, "Not for me", and Ben backs away in fear. ♪ On the Island At the Black Rock After waking up in a field, Jack and Hurley make their way toward the Temple. Hurley tries to stall Jack several times in order to avoid going to the Temple, as Jacob had warned him that it was not safe. Richard Alpert appears and offers to lead them to the Temple. Hurley asks Jack if he trusts him (Richard). Jack says to Hurley, "at least he's not stalling," and follows Richard. Richard leads them through the jungle, and Hurley asks him how it is possible that Richard looks the same as he did 30 years ago. Richard says it is not easy to explain, but that Jacob gave him a gift. They arrive at the Black Rock. ♪ Richard admits he lied about going to the Temple because everyone at the Temple is dead, but maybe their friends made it out alive. }}Hurley reveals that Jacob had implied to him earlier that it was unsafe to go to the Temple. Richard is surprised by this and says that whatever Jacob said should not be believed. Richard heads for the wreck, saying that there's something he needs to do: die. ♪ Inside the hull, Richard informs Jack that this is the first time he has come back to the ship in all the long time he has been on the Island. Richard opens a box of dynamite sticks and fuse wire, and Hurley tells him it is unsafe and the dynamite is unstable. Richard states that he can't kill himself, even though he wants to (he demonstrates this by throwing a stick of dynamite across the room, which does not explode), which is why he wants Hurley or Jack to do it for him. }} Richard explains that Jacob touched him, which is thought to be a gift, but it is actually a curse. He says that he has devoted his life to Jacob, who claimed that everything was happening for a reason, that he had a plan, and that he would share the plan with Richard when the time was right. Richard reveals that, now that Jacob is dead, he believes that his entire life has had no purpose. He asks Jack to light a stick of dynamite for him, pointing out that he made the fuse long enough to give Jack time to get out. Jack immediately lights the fuse and sits down with Richard. Hurley is uncomfortable and decides to go, but Jack is calm and says he has to talk to Richard. ♪ Richard encourages Jack to go with Hurley, but Jack is confident that neither of them are going to die. ♪ Jack tells Richard that he has just been at the Lighthouse, where it was evident that Jacob had been watching Jack since he was a kid. Jack says that he's sure that Jacob brought him to the island for a reason, and that reason was not to die here with Richard. Richard points out the risk, but Jack is certain that he is not wrong. As the fuse burns to the last inch, it splutters out. Jack offers to try another stick, but Richard declines. Jack says they should go back to the beach camp. ♪ At the beach camp After leaving the ruined Temple at sunset, Ben frantically runs through the jungle. He falls and sees a row of torches moving through the darkness nearby. He scrambles up and rushes over. It is Ilana, Sun, Miles and Frank. Ilana immediately asks Ben where Sayid is. Ben tells her that, considering that Sayid just killed Dogen and Lennon, it is not likely that he will be joining them. Sun protests to Ilana that she told them that they would be safe at the Temple, and Ilana replies that that is what she was told. Ben suggests they go to the beach camp. Ilana agrees to this, and they start off. As they head for the beach, Miles asks Ben what "that thing" was back at the Temple. Ben says that it was what killed Ilana's friends back at the statue. ♪ Ilana interjects by asking Ben to confirm that it was also the Man in Black who killed Jacob. Ben stammers, and Ilana, already suspicious, ♪ gives Miles the pouch containing Jacob's ashes so that he can figure out how Jacob died. Miles communes with the ashes and determines that Ben killed Jacob. ♪ Ben instantly denies this, but in an extremely unconvincing manner. Miles insists with conviction that it is so. Ilana angrily tells Ben that Jacob was the closest thing she ever had to a father. ♪ The small party arrives at the ruins of the beach camp. Ilana gives out instructions about food, shelter and starting a fire and then sets to work making something with cable. Ben follows her around, launching into a defense of his innocence. Once again, he is very unconvincing, and Ilana coolly ignores him. Sun approaches Ilana and asks how long they are to stay there, explaining that she needs to find her husband. Ilana tells Sun that she also wants to find Jin, as his last name is Kwon, and she doesn't know whether she is supposed to protect Sun, Jin, or both of them. Sun asks what she means, and Ilana explains that they are candidates to replace Jacob. She says that when the replacement is chosen, they will find out what the job entails. Sun asks how many candidates there are, and Ilana tells her that there are only six left. ♪ Ben enters the tent once used by Sawyer and begins a search. He finds a bottle of Oceanic water and remarks to Frank that he remembers the plane breaking in half like it was yesterday. Frank says that he was supposed to pilot Flight 815 but overslept, and he wonders how different his life would have been if he had flown the plane. Ben points out that, regardless, the Island still got Frank in the end. Ilana suddenly appears, aims her rifle at Ben and orders him to walk. She marches him at gunpoint to the crash victims' cemetery and attaches him to a nearby tree by his ankle with a restraining cable and foot iron she has made. She hands him a shovel and demands he dig his own grave. Ben slowly starts to dig with Ilana guarding him at a distance. ♪ Later Miles arrives with some green beans and banana for Ben, but Ben says he's not hungry. Ben tells Miles that he will give him $3.2 million if Miles helps him get out of his current situation. Miles responds that it would be easier for him to just get the $8 million in diamonds buried with Nikki and Paulo in the grave nearby. Ben says that he can't believe Miles is going to stand by and watch as Ben is killed for murdering Jacob, who didn't even care about being killed. Miles replies that Jacob did care, and that right up until the end, Jacob was hoping that he was wrong about Ben. Ben is stunned. ♪ Later, when Ben is almost finished digging, the Man in Black arrives as Locke while no one is watching. He asks Ben what he is doing and why, and Ben tells him that he's digging his own grave because Ilana plans to kill him for murdering Jacob. Locke says he doesn't want Ben to die. He tells Ben that he is gathering a group to leave the Island for good, and that he thinks Ben would be the best person to be in charge of the Island once he and his group depart. ♪ Ben points out that he is shackled to the tree. Locke points at Ben's foot iron, which then falls open. Locke invites Ben to come to the Hydra Station, but Ben protests that Ilana will come after him. Locke tells Ben that he has left a rifle for him 200 yards into the jungle, and that if Ben runs now, he can get there and get a jump on Ilana. Ben looks over at Ilana, who is standing a small distance away. Their eyes meet. From Ilana's perspective, only Ben is in view; she has not been able to see Locke. ♪ Ben runs into the jungle and Ilana dashes after him. Ben reaches the rifle planted by Locke and turns on a surprised Ilana, who drops her weapon. After a long, tense moment, Ilana asks why Ben is waiting to shoot her. He says that he knows what Ilana is feeling because he watched his daughter Alex die in front of him. Ben, who is clearly grieved and ashamed, says that he sacrificed everything, including Alex's life, for the Island in the name of Jacob, who didn't even care. Ben says that he was angry and confused when he stabbed Jacob, and he was terrified that he was about to lose what he felt mattered most to him, his power — but what really mattered most, Alex, was already gone. He tells Ilana that he is sorry for killing Jacob, and that he doesn't expect her to forgive him, because he can never forgive himself. Ben has lowered his rifle, and he asks to be allowed to leave. Ilana asks where he'll go, and Ben says he will go to Locke. She asks Ben why, and he responds that Locke is the only one who will accept him into his group. Ilana reveals that she is willing to accept him into her group, much to Ben's surprise. She then picks up her rifle and heads back to the beach. Ben stares in shock after Ilana for a second, then follows her. ♪ Ben and Ilana arrive back at the beach camp. Ben sees Sun and offers to help her. ♪ Sun tentatively asks him to help with a tarp, and he does so. Frank adds wood to the fire. Miles examines a large diamond. Ilana sits holding her pouch of Jacob's ashes. Hurley, Richard, and Jack appear, and Sun runs happily to greet them, hugging Hurley and Jack tightly. Jack makes a point of moving to look at Ben who stands aside from the group, looking out of place. Richard is also apart from the group, now totaling eight people. ♪ A dark submarine periscope, undetected by the group on the beach, breaks the surface of the water and travels alongside the shore. The periscope views the group on the beach, and the watch officer in the sub below reports that there are people on the beach and asks whether they should stop. ♪ Charles Widmore, examining a clipboard, tells the watch officer to proceed as planned. ♪ Flash sideways and complain about the school's conditions.}} Ben is teaching his European history class about Elba Island, where Napoleon Bonaparte "faced his greatest test", his loss of power. At the end of the class, Principal Reynolds requests that Ben supervise detention all week. Ben explains that he's not available to do that, because the students in his after-school History Club need him. Reynolds replies that the club is not for the students, it's for Ben to feel needed. Referring to Ben simply as "Linus," the principal walks away from him. As he leaves, Ben mutters "it's Dr. Linus, actually." In the teachers' lounge, the science teacher, Dr. Leslie Arzt, complains about a formaldehyde stain on his shirt and about his outdated lab equipment. Ben makes an impassioned statement about the importance of learning and of taking care of the students. He insists that Reynolds thinks merely as an administrator and not as a teacher. Ben says he refuses to give up his own principles. Substitute teacher John Locke overhears this, and he suggests that maybe Ben should be the principal. ♪ is tasked by Reynolds to supervise detention.}} At home, Ben stares at his reflection in the microwave as he waits for the frozen turkey dinner for his father, . While changing his father's oxygen tank, Ben reflects on how unimportant he feels at his job, especially given he has a PhD. Roger says he wished better for Ben, which is why he signed up with the DHARMA Initiative and moved them to the Island when Ben was a child. ♪ Roger wonders aloud whether their lives would have been better if they had stayed on the Island. The doorbell rings, and Ben greets one of his students, Alex Rousseau, who has come to ask where Ben was for History Club. She is disappointed to find out about the change in plans because she was hoping Ben would tutor her for a test. Ben offers to help her the next morning in the library instead. ♪ tries to blackmail Principal Reynolds. }} In the library, Ben quizzes Alex on the East India Trading Company. When she can't answer a question, she becomes frustrated and explains that it's important for her to succeed because of her mother's sacrifices. ♪ Ben says reassuringly that she is one of the brightest students he has ever had, and he doesn't worry about her future at all. When Ben offers to write her a letter of recommendation for college, Alex tells him that she needs "that pervert" Principal Reynolds to do it because he is a graduate of Yale, the school she is intending to apply to. Ben inquires further on the "pervert" accusation. Alex pleads Ben to promise not to tell anyone, and he agrees. Alex then tells him that Reynolds and the school nurse were having a sexual relationship on school grounds. Again, Alex asks that Ben not tell anyone about it, and he replies that "a promise is a promise." ♪ Ben goes to Dr. Arzt's lab to ask if it would be possible to access faculty emails, namely Nurse Kondracki's. Arzt presses Ben to tell him about the affair between Reynolds and Kondracki. He recognizes that Ben is going after the "big job" and agrees to help in exchange for a better parking spot and new lab equipment. tells the secret she witnessed.}} Ben goes to Reynolds' office and shows the principal that he has three months worth of email correspondence detailing inappropriate conduct on school grounds with the nurse. He threatens to show the evidence to the school board and to Reynold's wife, unless he agrees to resign and recommend Ben as his replacement. Reynolds counters by showing Ben a request from Alex for a letter of recommendation to Yale University. He threatens to "torch" Alex and her future if Ben proceeds with his threat. ♪ shares her good news with .}} Later, Ben is alone in Reynolds' office to drop off the incriminating copies of the emails. Alex comes in looking to thank the principal for the incredible letter of recommendation he gave her, and sees Ben. She asks if he had anything to do with it, which he denies. Soon after, Reynolds arrives, and Ben affirms that they have the History Club back, as the principal has found someone else to cover for detention. Outside the office, Arzt is disappointed to find he won't be getting his desired parking space, so Ben offers him his. Ben watches with pride and satisfaction as Alex leaves the office. ♪ Trivia *With this episode, Ben becomes the fourth character to have a flashback episode, a flash-forward episode, and a flash sideways episode centered solely around him. The others are Kate, Jack and Sayid. *This is the first episode to have flash sideways focused around someone who was not on Flight 815 in either timeline. *Although it is not seen on-screen, it appears Miles spoke with the dead Paulo and Nikki to learn of the diamonds buried with them. The presence of one of the diamonds at the conclusion of the episode indicates some grave robbing took place off-camera. *Jon Gries has played Roger Linus as a young man in 1964, a middle-age man in 1973 and 1977, an older middle-aged man in 1992 and an old man in 2004. This is the longest age range (40 years) the same actor has played of any naturally aging characters on the show. *Richard Alpert implies he arrived on the Island via the Black Rock, which was later confirmed in . *This is the first episode to have a flash sideways that doesn't have an appearance by or mention of Jack. *On the wall of Principal Reynolds's office there is a large photograph of a scenic shot from an island. *This is the first episode to have a flash sideways in which the Island is mentioned in a conversation. *This is the first time that Hurley has been seen at the beach camp since . *Jack and Hurley are the first main Flight 316 passengers who time traveled to re-encounter other main Flight 316 passengers who remained in the present (Lapidus, Ben, and Sun). *This episode is Rated TV-PG-DSV. Production notes * This is the first time in the series that Josh Holloway (Sawyer) has been missing for three episodes in a row. This leaves Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly as the only actors who have not missed more than two episodes in a row in the series. *Jorge Garcia confirmed on his podcast, Geronimo Jack's Beard, that he added in Hurley's line where he asks Richard Alpert if he is a "vampire". Garcia wasn't sure if the line would be left in, but to his own surprise, it was. **The same podcast also confirmed that the role of Reynolds was written specifically for William Atherton. *This is the first time the Black Rock has been seen up close on the Island since Season 3's . **The second time the Black Rock is seen in this episode, the establishing shot is recycled from . *The producers stated that while neither Paulo nor Nikki would appear in Season 6, they would instead be given a "shout-out."http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/02/lost.producers.take.questions.ppl/index.html *An audio commentary by Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and Michael Emerson for this episode is available on the Season 6 DVD. ** Additionally, a Lost: on Location featurette for this episode is included on the Sixth Season Blu-ray set and on the bonus DVD but not in the ordinary DVD set. It covers Ben scenes with Arzt, Roger and Alex. *This episode marks the final appearence of Leslie Arzt in the series. Bloopers and continuity errors *When Alex and Ben are discussing Alex's history test, a piece of Alex's hair is behind her head in some shots, and over her shoulder in some other shots. *When Ilana is guarding Ben while he's digging the grave, in some shots the rifle is covered in sand and in others it is clean. *The arrival of the Man in Black's smoke monster form echoes all around Ben, although Ilana standing a distance nearby, doesn't hear it. *At the scene inside the Black Rock, both Jack and Richard had marked stubble. When they arrived at the beach, both were almost clean shaven. *When Dr. Arzt and Dr. Linus are speaking, Dr. Arzt's shirt is shown with the top button open in some shots, and closed in other shots. *When Ben writes "Elba" on the chalkboard, he draws a curved line under it. Later in the scene, the line is straight. *Though the events in place this episode less than a week after the landing of Oceanic Flight 815 in September 2004, and Alex is applying to Yale, where applications are accepted no later than December 31, Alex states that she needs Ben's help studying for the AP test on Friday. The European History AP Exam is given only in May. *When Jack, Hurley and Richard come back from the Black Rock and arrive at the beach camp, they are coming from the left. In Rousseau leads the group to the Black Rock by leaving the beach camp on the right side, heading counter-clockwise around the Island's shoreline. *After Jack wakes Hurley up, it's shown to be raining lightly in the closeup shots of Jack, but not in Hurley's closeups or the wide shots. *When the Man in Black speaks to Ben, Ben has dried blood running down from his nose. This was not present before the scene, but remains for the rest of the episode. A scene where Ilana beat Ben, which gave him the bloody nose, had to be deleted due to time constraints. This was explained on the audio commentary for the episode. *Miles told Ben that Nikki and Paulo were buried alive, then the camera focused on two graves, and led us to believe it was Nikki and Paulo's grave that Miles was talking about. However, if you look closer, you can see it's actually Ana Lucia and Libby's grave. Music The Season 6 soundtrack includes the following tracks from this episode: * "Linus and Alpertinent" * "Karma Has No Price" Analysis Recurring themes * Ben is seen as Alex's teacher in the flash-sideways timeline. * Ilana ties Ben up away from the others at the graves so he can dig his own grave. * Ilana plans to kill Ben Linus because he killed Jacob. * Richard wants Jack to kill him, whereas Jack now knows they both won't die because they were on the Island for a reason. * Flash sideways Ben changes the oxygen tanks in order to keep his father alive, in contrast to the original timeline Ben, who uses poison gas to kill him. * The oxygen tank that flash-sideways Ben changes out for Roger has a molecular weight of 16 (gaseous oxygen is a diatomic molecule). A single oxygen atom has an atomic mass of 16 and an atomic number of 8. * Richard reveals that anyone touched by Jacob received a gift, that being the ability to not die by one's own means. * Ben is fitted with a crude leg iron and chain. * Ilana accepts Ben into her group at the beach, forgiving him for killing Jacob. * Having never met in the original timeline, Ben and Arzt are teachers and friends at the same school in the flash-sideways timeline. * In the original timeline, Ben sacrifices his daughter to maintain his power. In the flash-sideways timeline, he sacrifices his aspiration for power to save Alex, who is not his daughter, but a protegé. * Ben tells Frank that even though he didn't pilot Flight 815, the Island still got him anyway. * Richard goes back to the Black Rock in order to try to kill himself. * Ben and Richard stand apart and opposite from the group reuniting at the beach when viewed through the periscope of the submarine, Richard dressed in dark tones and Ben in a light colored shirt. * Richard lies, and later admits it, to Jack and Hurley to get them all to the Black Rock. * Roger says he believed the DHARMA Initiative because "They were decent people". *Miles calls the dead Nikki and Paulo "jabronies", the same nickname Sawyer called them when they were paralyzed in . * Ben sees his reflection in the door of the microwave when cooking dinner for his father. Cultural references * The Terminator: The main character of this 1984 American tech-noir action film is a time-traveling cyborg. Because Richard appears to not age, Hurley, during their walk to the Black Rock, asks Richard if he is traveling through time or if he is a cyborg. * The Chosen: This 1967 book, written by Chaim Potok, is seen as Ben is rummaging through Sawyer's tent at the beach camp. The book is about two teenage Jewish boys who form a friendship despite the fact that they come from different worlds. * Benjamin Disraeli: Another book Ben finds in Sawyer's stash is titled "Benjamin Disraeli: Justice and Truth in Action." No author's name is shown on the dust jacket. It may be simply a prop, a mock-up, rather than an actual book. Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881) was a British Prime Minister, parliamentarian, Conservative statesman and literary figure. "Justice is truth in action" is a famous quotation of his. Alice in Wonderland original artist Sir John Tinniel's illustration of the man in white paper in Through the Looking Glass was based on Disraeli. * Napoleon Bonaparte: Ben teaches about this influential military and political leader of France, who was banished to the island Elba in 1814. * Charles Cornwallis: Dr. Linus questions Alex about this British Army officer who in 1786 was appointed Governor-General and commander in chief in India. The East India Company Act of 1786 arranged that the powers of the Governor-General be enlarged to empower him, in special cases, to override the majority of his Council and act on his own special responsibility. * The East India Trading Company: Dr. Linus questions Alex about this early English trading company. The company was formed in 1600 AD for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China. The Charter Act of 1813 asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company. At the time of the Charter, the East India Trading Company's power extended to all of India, except for the Punjab, Sindh and Nepal. *' Vasco da Gama': A poster of this Portuguese explorer is in Ben's classroom. Vasco da Gama was one of the most successful explorer in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India. * Christopher Columbus: A picture of this historical figure is exposed in Ben's classroom. Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. * American professional wrestling: Like Sawyer before him, Miles refers to Nikki and Paulo as "jabronis," a term for a wrestler who is booked to regularly lose on shows (called jobbing). This is quite similar to being a redshirt, or a wannabee. * Twenty Questions: Arzt doesn't want to play this spoken parlor game which encourages deductive reasoning and creativity. The game escalated in popularity during the late 1940s when it became the format for a successful weekly radio quiz program. * Niccolò Machiavelli: Principal Reynolds compares Ben to this 16th century diplomat and political philosopher, known for his cunning and deceitful manipulations. The Prince, his best known work, describes ways that a ruler can control his people. He recommends, among other things, that the prince should be a public figure above reproach, whilst privately acting amorally to achieve his goals. He also notes that sometimes good outcomes happen even though evil deeds are performed. *'Yale University': In the flash-sideways timeline, Alex Rousseau wants to be a college student at this American university, which was established in 1701 in the state of Connecticut. The university was named after Elihu Yale, who was the first major benefactor of the institution. Yale, a successful business man, made his fortune through his work as a representative of The East India Trading Company from 1671 to 1692. Literary techniques * Ben attempts to blackmail the school principal with knowledge of an illicit affair in order to usurp his position, but the principal threatens Alex causing Ben to relent. On the Island, Ben blackmailed Widmore with knowledge of his off-island affair in order to usurp his position, and Widmore retaliates by threatening Alex, but Ben calls his bluff — and loses. * Hurley talks about Arzt's death when he's in the Black Rock, in the same episode that we see a good part of Arzt's life as a teacher, in the flash sideways. * In the flash-sideways timeline, Ben is taking care of his father, Roger, while he killed him in the original timeline. For that, he gives his father life-saving gas, versus deadly gas in the original timeline. * When Ben is speaking to his class about Napoleon's exile to the island of Elba, it is made to seem as if he were talking about the Island and his relationship to it, with a particular emphasis on the subject of "losing power". * Charles Widmore is seen approaching the Island via submarine. * Ben states that the beach will be a safe haven, similar to the Oceanic survivors' belief that the beach was to be a safe haven from the Others, which were led by Ben. * Richard's description of following a man who claimed everything happened for a reason before discovering the man had died without any resolution to his plan, feeling his life was worthless, also describes Jack's relationship with Locke, Locke's death, and Jack following Locke's instructions to return to the island, where nothing has gone right. * Richard said he followed a man who told him that "Everything happens for a reason." * In the flash-sideways timeline, when Ben was first talking to Arzt in the cafeteria, Arzt was wiping off his shirt. In people were wiping "Arzt" off their shirts. * Richard becomes cynical and decides Jacob's gift is actually a curse. Hurley was convinced he was cursed until Jacob portrayed his abilities as a gift. * Ben used to run a book club allegedly centered around his own preferences on the Island, and he runs a History club in the flash-sideways timeline, arguably also based upon his own satisfaction. * Ilana talks to Sun about the candidates, and, minutes later, a somewhat oblivious Ben has the book The Chosen in front of him. He digs out the old Oceanic bottle which Jack uses later to make Hurley the protector of the Island. * During the reunion scene, the score which plays is a version of the Season 4 soundtrack score "There's No Place Like Home" which was first heard when the Oceanic 6 return home. The name of the track, along with Hurley and Jack returning to the beach for the first time in three years (their "home" on the Island) gives the feeling that the characters have returned home again. * Richard talks about having someone else kill him in the Black Rock, similar to when he told John Locke to get someone else to kill John's father, also in the Black Rock. * Ben is forced to perform manual labor at gunpoint, after previously ordering Kate and Sawyer's work at the quarry. *Ben reports to Ilana that Sayid was standing over Dogen and Lennon's bodies with a bloody dagger, so he is pretty sure he killed them. Minutes later Miles tells Ilana—with deliberate wording as he looks at Ben—that he is "pretty sure" Ben is the one who killed Jacob because he was over Jacob's body with a bloody dagger. * Ben asserts that Jacob, whom he accused directly of ambivalence towards him, didn't care about being killed, but it is revealed that Jacob held specific hope for Ben. * Jack, a doctor, agrees for the second time on the Island to a character's request to be euthanized. In this case, however, he is confident the attempt will not succeed. * In the flash sideways, Locke thinks Ben should be the new man in charge. In the original timeline, Locke replaced Ben as the leader of the Others. Storyline analysis * Those who had not gone with the Man in Black decided to head for the beach. * In the flash sideways, Locke raises his hand and indicates that he would listen to/follow Ben. In the original timeline, Locke followed Ben initially, and then took leadership of the Others and ordered Ben around. * Ben has to face the consequences of killing Jacob. * The Man in Black offers Ben leadership of the Island when he and his group leaves. * After Miles reveals to Ilana that Ben killed Jacob, she treats Ben like an enemy. It wasn't until Ben told her of Alex's death that she forgave him. Episode connections Episode references * Hurley mentions Arzt's death due to dynamite from the Black Rock. * Roger talks to Ben about bringing him to the Island and the DHARMA Initiative. * Frank mentions that he should have been the pilot of Flight 815. * Ben offers Miles $3.2 million, referring to the time Miles attempted to extort that amount from him. * Miles mentions that Nikki and Paulo were buried alive with $8 million worth of diamonds. * Ben tells Ilana of how he could have prevented Alex's death. * Ilana has Ben dig his own grave after finding out that he was the one who killed Jacob. * Ben once again says the smoke monster killed Ilana's team at the statue, but this time forgetting to add that it killed Jacob. * Arzt refers to Locke as "the substitute." * Jack explains to Richard how he saw his childhood home in the mirror of Jacob's lighthouse. Episode allusions * Ben finds Sawyer's stash of pornographic magazines in his tent. * Miles calls Nikki and Paulo "jabronis", which is the same nickname Sawyer used for them. External links *ABC Medianet press release fr:6x07 de:6.07 Dr. Linus es:Dr. Linus ru:Доктор Лайнус nl:Dr. Linus Category:Ben-centric Category:Season 6 Category:Episodes